The Obed National Park, have you heard of it?

The Obed National Park is located in Wartburg Tennessee, a little under two hours from Gatlinburg Tennessee. I personally had never heard of the park until a friend of mine shared a post on Instagram inside the park. Obed is known most for its challenging whitewater rafting, rock climbing, camping and hiking trails. There are several trails at the park. Lilly Bluff Trail, Emory River Nature Trail, Point Trail and the Cumberland Trail. The overlook trail is 0.3-miles long and takes you to the top of Lilly Bluff. Lilly Bluff is an overlook point of the Cumberland River Gorge. This next trail is my favorite and is called “The Point Trail”, it is a 3.8-mile round trip trail and a moderate to strenuous hike. The Point Trail dips down into Melton Mill Branch and involves a moderate amount of easy climbing. Point Trail contains many turns and a beautiful scenic overlook of the gorge as well. The Bridge Trail is 0.5-miles long and crosses over the river through beautiful jungle-like scenery. The Boulder Field Trail is a 0.4-mile trip and leveled at “easy” winding around sandstone boulders. Climbers face up to the boulders and test their climbing skills on the sandstones. The other trails include the Nature Loop, Alley Ford and the difficult rated 14.2 miles one way Devil’s Breakfast Table – Rock Creek trail. Devils Breakfast continues from the Cumberland trial and overlooks the river as well. this one is definitely on my list for my next trip.

Things I recommend to bring on your hike.

Lots of water, be sure to stay hydrated! Possibly bring a light snack in case you decide to spend extra time viewing the overlook points.

A camera. You will definitely want to capture those beautiful views and overlooks.

Make sure you have good shoes on. Tennis shoes will work, but you want to make sure you have shoes with lots of traction.

A flashlight or headlamp. Obed is an International Dark Sky Park, so if you get caught out there at night you will need a flashlight. The starlight is always beautiful, but not the brightest to guide you through the hike.

I hope this post has opened your eyes to new hiking locations and you have learned of some new trails to visit.

My family and I have gone camping ever since I can remember. We’ve been to over 90 national parks and to 200-something state parks. We haven’t made it to Obed yet, maybe that will be our next weekend trip! Thanks for the tip!

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About Me

Hey! Im Mckenzi and I am a Nashville based photographer and College Student who enjoys traveling and fashion. I am currently in majoring in journalism with a minor in graphic design. I got into photography in December of 2016 when I bought my first Sony camera for the purpose of blogging, but I quickly found a love for Photography. As I have continued to blog I have learned a lot about myself, including that I want to pursue writing as a career.